Documentation Reference

Lists of Acceptable Documentation for:

The following are documents that can be used to document citizenship status:

U.S. Citizenship documentation

U.S. Certificate of Naturalization

U.S. Certificate of Citizenship

U.S. Passport

U.S. Birth Certificate

Eligible non-citizenship status documentation

I-551 Permanent Resident Card

There are other documents that may document citizenship status, these are the most common. Please see this link for further information.

All documents must be original documents and presented in person. Copies of any kind are not acceptable.

Illinois Residency Requirement

All recipients of the Illinois Student Assistance Monetary Award Program (ISAC MAP) must be able to provide documentation to prove residency in the state of Illinois.

Dependents

For MAP purposes, the parent of the dependent student must physically reside in Illinois, and Illinois must be their permanent home.

Independents

An independent student must have resided in Illinois for 12 continuous months prior to start of classes of the academic year the student is applying for the MAP grant to be considered an Illinois resident. The State of Illinois must be their permanent home.

Documentation

The following are examples of documents that may be collected for proof of Illinois residency. For an independent student, the documentation must indicate that the student resided in Illinois for the previous 12 continuous months.

Parent's (or student's, if independent) valid federal or state of Illinois income tax for the prior year;

Statement of benefits history from the Illinois Department of Public Aid;

Residential lease in the parent's (or independent student's) name;

Statement of benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security;

State of Illinois identification card issued by the Secretary of State;

Illinois voter registration card;

Illinois high school diploma or transcript;

Wages and tax statement (W-2); or

Property tax bill.

With the exception of the Illinois tax return, all documentation needs to be issued one year prior to the start of the academic year to be used for the Illinois residency requirement.

Selective Service

Almost all male U.S. citizens and male aliens living in the U.S. who are 18 through 25 are required to register with Selective Service. If you are unsure if you were required to register please review the chart of who must register according to the Selective Service administration.

If you are a female, or do not fit into the requirements for having to register, please submit written notice to our office that you were not required to register indicating the reason.

High School Completion

Overview

Students who enter a program on or after July 1, 2012 must have successfully obtained a high school diploma or equivalent prior to being awarded any Federal or state student aid.

Satisfying the High School Diploma/Equivalency Requirement

Students will have the opportunity to 'self-certify" on the FAFSA directly stating that they received a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. By indicating on the FAFSA that the student has received one of the three options listed above, they are not required to send in proof of that completion unless there is reason to believe that the information is invalid.

Students that have answered the question incorrectly can go back and update their FAFSA. If high school was completed outside the U.S. please select "High School Diploma".

If a student does not indicate on the FAFSA that they have their high school diploma or equivalent, the student is required to provide documentation of their high school equivalency status. Federal and state aid will not be awarded until this requirement has been satisfied.

Documents acceptable to establish high school equivalency are:

A copy of your High School Diploma;

A copy General Educational Development Certificate (GED);

A copy of a State certificate received by a student after the student has passed a State-authorized examination that the State recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma;

An academic transcript of a student who has successfully completed at least a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree;

OR

For a person who is seeking enrollment in an educational program that leads to a least an associate's degree or its equivalent and who has not completed high school, documentation that the student excelled academically in high school and has met the formalized, written policies of that post-secondary institution for admitting such students.

Federal Perkins Loans are low-interest loans offered through financial aid for students to help pay for the cost of a student's education. The lender is Benedictine University and the loan is serviced through Campus Partners.

Once Campus Partners receives your Federal Perkins Loan information from Benedictine University, you will receive an email from Campus Partners to your Benedictine email address to complete the Perkins Loan Entrance Counseling, Loan Interview, and the Master Promissory Note. First time Perkins Loan borrowers must complete these steps in order to receive the loan. This process can be completed online at: https://ipromise.campuspartners.com/

All first time borrowers are required to complete an online Perkins Entrance Counseling session and Loan Interview. The session will give you a better understanding of how the Perkins loan works and your rights and responsibilities as a student borrower. This is a requirement of the federal government and must be completed.

Information you will need to complete the session:

Your Social Security number

Your driver's license number

Name, address, and telephone number of your parents or guardian

Name, address, and telephone number of two relatives other than your parents

Name, address, and telephone number of two references, other than relatives, from your home locality

From the iPROMise homepage select "Illinois" from the list of available states.

Select "Benedictine University" from the list of participating institutions.

Fill out the student registration form.

Complete the Entrance Interview: Follow the instructions, reading all of the information presented and answering the questions.

From the iPROMise homepage select "Requires Completion" located under Loan Interview.

Step 2: Complete the Perkins Master Promissory Note

Carefully read and sign the Master Promissory Note. You can sign the Master Promissory electronically using your FSA pin.

View and print the Truth in Lending Statement and keep for your records.

Once both steps are completed, Benedictine University will access your completed MPN and counseling session and the loan funds will be posted to your account electronically each semester that you are eligible for the Perkins Loan. If, after receiving your award letter, you cannot log in to iPROMise, please contact Student Accounts at 630-829-6503630-829-6503 .